'The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts the Tonight Show' Review: Singer created a landmark moment in US history
One of the common criticisms viewers — especially people of color — have for late-night television is that it lacks diversity. Every time a talk show host retires and another White man is hired for the job, the conversation comes up again. While there have been strides made in the past few years — take the successes of Trevor Noah and Samantha Bee for instance — late-night television has a long way to go before it becomes truly representative of the United States.
It is no wonder then that Jamaican-American Harry Belafonte's single week hosting NBC's 'Tonight Show' in February 1968 is considered to be a landmark moment in the history of not just television but also the Civil Rights movement. At the time, Belafonte was a popular actor, singer and activist who had managed to enthrall White audiences just as well as he enthralled Black people. When 'Tonight Show' host Johnny Carson felt that the tension in America needed to be reflected on his show, he invited Belafonte to take over his role for a week.
In 1968, America was knee-deep in racial tension and anti-war protests with the Civil Rights movement under Dr Martin Luther King Jr's leadership gaining ground like never before. The Vietnam War had incurred the loss of many lives and taxpayer dollars and this too had stoked people's discontent in the presidency of Lyndon B Johnson. 1968 was a pivotal year in American history in the early months, and just like 2020, worse things were yet to happen.
A new documentary from Peacock, NBC's streaming platform, 'The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts the Tonight Show' examines that historical week and all the guests Belafonte brought on including Dr King, Robert F Kennedy, Aretha Franklin and Paul Newman. Belafonte's time hosting 'The Tonight Show' showed television more diversely than it had ever been before. At one point, Newman was the only White person on a stage dominated by Black presence, which is a rarity even today. By weaving in artistry and politics, Belafonte was perhaps the first to prove that Americans wanted to see more about politics in an entertaining way before they went to bed. Today, late-night television would be unimaginable without its political content.
Unfortunately, only two episodes of the week survive — until 1971 NBC recorded over old tapes. Perhaps this may be why Belafonte's 'Tonight Show' gig remains largely forgotten as many would not have seen the programs on television. By unearthing these recordings and bringing in Belafonte and others to speak about that one week on television is a remarkable thing, one that means current and future generations will know of the impact that Belafonte had not just as an artist but also as an activist.
Just months after their appearances on the 'Tonight Show', both Dr King and Kennedy were assassinated within two months of each other. Belafonte was Dr King's confidante and he had also worked closely with Kennedy as the latter had announced he was running for presidency. What is worth noting is that the documentary also touches on whether the political situation today might have risen from the resentment to the Civil Rights movement.
'The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts the Tonight Show' is available to stream on Peacock on September 10.